Announcing apparatus



June 24, 1930. R. E. LUMPKIN E AL ANNOUNCING APPARATUS FiledJuly 26. 1928 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORJ. 1

W-NGVGLW ATTORNEYJ Jame 24, 193p. R. E; LUMPKIN E1 AL:

Afinouncme APPARATUS Filed July 26. 1928 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORj 1?. lzzam ziizv. Bi

. 07. Nave iii Patented June 24, 1930 FFICE- RAY E. LUKPKIN AND ROY A. HOVE, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS ANNOUNCING AlPABA'IfUS Application filed July 26,

This invention relates to announcing apparatus and more particularly to an apparatus of this character special y adapte or use by an umpire at a baseball game.

During a baseball game an umpire stands back of the catcher in order to determine whether a ball thrown b the pitcher is a ball or a strike and whi c it is customary for an umpire to indicate a ball or a strike by motions of his hands it often difficult for spectators to hear the decisions rendered by the umpire or properly interpret the motions which he makes with his hands.

Therefore, one object of the invention is to provide an apparatus including loud speakers which may be mounted in a press box occupied by newspaper writers and at other places about the stand and companion mechanism worn by the umpire and including a microphone preferably mounted upon the face-protecting mask worn by the umire so that, when the umpire announces a ball or strike, the announcements will be transmitted to the loud speakers where it will be hroadcasted and may be clearly heard by all of the spectators.

Another object of the invention is to provide a loud speaker circuit including terminals embedded in a hard rubber block or separate blocks of hard rubber set into the ground back of the catcher where the umpire stands so that terminals constituting part of the mechanism worn by the umpire will have engagement with the terminals embedded in the hard rubber and thus establish communication between the loud speakers and a microphone worn by the umpire.

Another object of the invention is to so form the terminals of the mechanism worn by the umpire that they may take the place of cleats usually secured upon the soles of the umpires shoes to prevent slipping and since they are secured noon the soles of his shoes insure proper engagement with the terminals embedded in the hard rubber block or blocks set into the ground when the umpire is standing in the usual position back of thecatcher.

Another object of the invention is to al- 1928. Serial No. 295,558.

low the wires leading from the terminals secured upon the umpires shoes to the microphone carried by his mask to be readily detached therefrom and thereby allow the umpire to easily remove his mask when necessary during playing of a game and also allow the umpire to easily put on or remove his shoes while dressing before or after a game.

Another object of the invention is to apply the wires leading from the micro bone to the terminals to the clothing in suc positions that they will be out of the way and not interfere with the umpires movements and further to form these wires in sections separately connected at approximately the umpires waist to further facilitate dressing and prevent likelihood of the wires becoming easily tangled.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing loud speakers distributed about a grandstand and the position of the terminals upon the which the umpire stands back of the catcher;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the mechanism worn by the umpire and an umpire wearing the same;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the face-protesting mask having a microphone secured v thereto;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing one of the terminals of'the mechanism worn by an umpire in operative relation to a shoe, and

Fig. 5 is an enlar tional view taken on t e In Figure 1, there has ed longitudinal secline 5-5 of Fig. 1. been shown a diagram representing a playin field and in-' plate 1 back of which the the catcher being indicated by the numeral 2. The grandstands are indicated by the numeral 3 and a press box to be occupied by newspaper reporters is indicated by the numeral 4. A loud speaker 5 is mounted in the press box and similar loud speakers 6 distributed about the grandstands in such positions that announcements broadcasted by the loud speakers may eluding a home catcher stands,

heard by all occupants of the stands. The

' circuit for the loud speakers is of a conventional construction and includes a power amplifier 7 from which extend wires 8, and these wires are passed through pipes 9 embedded in the ground between the randstand and the portion of the roun back of the catcher. Blocks 10 whic are preferably formed of rubber, although any suitable insulating material may be employed to form them, are set into the ground back of the catcher with their upper surfaces flush with the ground, as shown in Fig. 5, and in these blocks of insulation are set terminal plates 11 which are of suflicient size for the umpire to easily place his feet thereon and so spaced with relation to each other that, when an umpire is standing back of the catcher with his feet in a normal position, they will naturally rest u on the plates. The pipes 9 extend into the locks of insulation, as shown in Fig. 5, and the wires 8 project from the forward ends of the pipes and are soldered or otherwise firmly secured to the under surfaces of the terminal plates. It will thus be seen that the wires leading from the power amplifier will be positively connected with the terminal plates and there will be no danger of the proper connection not being established between the terminal plates and power amplifier.

The umpire wears the usual face mask 12 and chest protector 13 and to the face mask is secured a microphone 14 which is. so located upon the mask that when the mask is worn the microphone will be positioned in front of the umpires mouth. Wires 15 extend downwardly from the microphone and are attached to a. terminal plug 16 having a conventional construction and separably engaged with a companion lug member or socket 17. Wires 18 lead rom the socket 17 and extend downwardly beneath the chest protector with their lower ends terminating at approximately the waist of the umpire and releasably connected with compa 'on wires 19 by separable terminals 20.

he wires 19 extend down the trousers at the sides thereof and are preferably secured along the outer side seams of the trousers and the wires 18 may be secured to the umpires shirt or against the inner surface of the chest protector. By having the wires 15 releasably connected with the wires 18 throu h the medium of separable plug memhers the umpire can remove his mask whenever necessary and since the Wires 18 are releasabl connected with the wires 19 these wires wi 1 not interfere when the umpire is dressingbefore or after a game. At their lower ends the wires 19 carry terminal plugs 21 and these plugs are removably engaged with companion plug members or sockets 22. Against the under surface of the sole of each shoe worn by the umpire is secured a terminal 23 which is has the configuration .of a cleat usually employed to prevent the umpire from slipping. It will be understood that other specific forms of terminal plates may be employed if so desired and may be secured to a shoe either in place of or in addition to the usual cleats. A strip 24 extends from the terminal plate 23 and extends rearwardly Fig. 4, and by referring to this figure it will be seen that the strip 24 curves outwardly so that it projects from the shoe at the instep. The outer end portion of the strip is bent to form an arm 25 which extends upwardly and has it free end portionv bent outwardl to provide a support 26 u on which one of the sockets 22 is secured. herefore, the two sockets 22 will be firmly supported at the sides of the umpires shoes and so positioned that the plugs 21 may be easily engaged therewith. It will thus be seen that the terminals 23 will be connected with the microphone 14 and when the umpire is standing behind the catcher with his feet therefrom, as shown in resting upon the blocks 10 the terminals 23 will contact with the terminals 11 and conumpire standing back of the catcher will announce a ball or a strike and as he makes the announcement it will be picked up by the microphone and passed along the wires to the power amplifier. After being amplified, the announcement speakers in the press box and stands and these speakers will broadcast the announcement so that all of the spectators may hear the decision of the umpire. Therefore, there will be no danger of mistakes being made by a press reporter or a s ectator. While the terminals 11 have only een shown back of the catchers box, it will be understood that similar terminals could be located at first and second base so that umpires making base decisions may-be easily heard. It will also be understood that a similar apparatus could be employed in an auditorium so that a person standing upon a platform and addressing an audience may be clearly heard at all parts of the room.

Having thus described the invention, we

claim microphone in an respect to a person, conductor wires for said microphone, terminals for the microphone passes to the loud upstanding end 7 by the heads at the wires, and shoes having the terminals of the microphone wires secured against the under surface of the soles thereof, the microphone terminals having depending tongues constituting anti-slipping cleats and adapted to establish intimate contact with the loud speaker terminals when a person is standing thereon.

2. Announcing apparatus comprising a loud speaker having an energizing circuit including conductor wires, terminals for said wires, and insulating blocks for the terminals positioned for a person to stand thereon, and companion mechanism to be worn by a person and consisting of a face protecting mask, a microphone carried thereby, shoes, terminal plates upon the soles of said shoes, said plates havin depending tongues constitutin cleats an adapted to contact with the ind speaker terminals when a erson is standing thereon, strips leading rom said plates and terminating against side portions of the shoes, and wires connecting said strips with said microphone.

thereon, and companion mechanism to be worn by a person and consisting of a face-, protecting mask,

a microphone carried thereb shoes, terminal plates upon the soles of sai shoes to contact with the loud speaker terminals when a person is standing thereon, strips leading from said plates to margins of the shoe soles andterminati in upstanding end portions, sockets carrilid by the end portions of said strips, wires having terminal plugs releasably engaged with said sockets, wires leading from the microphone, a plug connected with the wires leading from the microphone, a chest protector, other wires to extend vertically at the sides of the chest protector, and socket members carried by the last-mentioned wires and releasably engaged with the socket members carried b the strips and microphone wires.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

RAY E. LUMPKIN. ROY A. NOVE.

3. Announcing apparatus comprising a loud speaker having an energizing circuit including conductor wires, terminals for said wires, and insulating blocks for the terminals positioned for a person to stand thereon, and companion mechanism to be worn by a person and consisting of a faceprotectin mask, a microphone carried thereby, 371068, terminal plates upon the soles of said shoes to contact with the loud speaker terminals when a person is standing thereon, strips leading from said plates to margins of the shoe soles and terminating in upstanding end portions, and wires connecting the ends of said strips with said microphone.

4. Announcing apparatus comprising a loud speaker having an energizing circuit including conductor wires, terminals for said wires, and insulating blocks for the terminals positioned for a person to stand thereon, and companion mechanism to be worn by a person and consisting of a faceprotecting mask, a microphone carried thereb shoes, terminal plates upon the soles of sai shoes to contact with the loud speaker terminals when a person is standing thereon, strips leading from said plates to margins of the shoe soles and terminatin in portions having outstanding heads at their upper ends, sockets carried upper ends of said strips, wires having terminal plugs releasably engaged with said sockets, and wires leading from the microphone and releasably connected with the last-mentioned wires.

5. Announcing apparatus comprising a loud speaker having an energizing circuit including conductor wires, terminals for said wires, and insulating blocks for the terminals positioned for a person to stand 

